UK/EU trade post-Brexit should be at least as free as it is now -Fox

MANCHESTER, England, Sept 29 It is in both
Britain's and the European Union's interests for the trading
environment between both parties to be at least as free as it is
now after Britain exits the bloc, International Trade Secretary
Liam Fox said on Thursday.

"Protectionism never actually helps anybody at all and as we
move into a post-Brexit arena we want it to be as free and as
open as possible," he told an audience in Manchester, northern
England.

"The European Union has a massive surplus in goods with the
UK. Who does it harm more if we end up in a new tariff
environment?" said Fox.

"It is in everybody's interests that as we move forward we
have at least as free a trading environment as we have today.
Anything else may not harm politicians and institutions but it
will harm the people of Europe."

Asked by a reporter about the prospects for trade with Iran
following its landmark deal with foreign powers about its
nuclear programme, Fox said: "Iran presents us with a very large
market opportunity. It will be a very large market of
consumers."

He added there were specific problems regarding trade with
Iran, mentioning the banking system, but he saw Iran as a "huge
opportunity".
(Reporting by Kylie Maclellan and Michael Holden, writing by
Estelle Shirbon)

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